Meat-cubing machine



May 9, 1933. J. P. SPANG MEAT CUBING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 13, 1931 \nve nTor.

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...Tllll Joseph FPSpong byHw M J. P. SPANG MEAT CUBING MACHINE May 9, 1933.

Fiied June 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 \nvenTor. Joseph P Spawg byHmx M ATTys May 9, 1933. J. Fv SPANG MEAT CUBING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 lnvenTor Joseph f). S pong by M M WMM Afys.

Patented May 9, 1933 JosErH P. SPANG, F QUINGY, :MAS*smiiiisn'r'rs*Y MEAT-Gummi MACHINE I 1 Application meaning 13, 1931. serial no. 544,256.

` This inventionvrelates to meat-cubing machines by which-'slits maybe cutin two dierent directions ina slice of meat. The inven- 1 tion is in some respects similar to that illustrated inV my Patent No. 1,646,711, October Q5,

1927', in that it embodies a carriage on which is mounted a turntable for supporting meat.

and meansto move the carriage back and forth underneath a gang of slitting knives and to turn the table at each end of the stroke.

In the present invention, however, the slitting knives are stationary blades and the mechanism for operating the carriage comprises a lever and operative connections between said lever and carriage by which the carriage will be given its full movement during a single stroke of the lever. 1

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated the drawings 2 a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which Vthe novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims. Y Y i Fig. 1 is a side view of a machine embodying my invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a top plan view with a portion broken out; 1

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-'-3,Fig.1.f 7

The device comprises a suitable frame 1 in which is mounted a carriagef for reciprocation longitudinally ofthe frame 1. This carriage is shown as mounted in and guided by suitable ways 3 carried by the-sidewalls of the frame 1. Mounted on the carriage 2 is a turntable 4 on which the slice of `meat 5 to be slit is placed. 1

The frame also supports a gang of stationary slitting knives 6' which are herein shown as mounted on three rods or supports y7 thateXtend transversely across the frame 1 and are mounted in the side walls thereof. A

The lower edge 8 of each knife is a cutting edge and its cutting edge incline's downwardly from each end of the knife toward the center as shown best in dotted lines Fig. 1.v

The slitting knives 6 are so supported that the lowest point of the cutting *edge thereof is 4slightly above the upper 'surface ofthe turntable. Consequently when a slice 5 of meat is placed on the'table L and the carriage` is moved from one end of itstravel tothe other the knives'6 will cutslits inthe meat 5as it passes beneath the knives. The adj ustiment of theknives is such thatthe slits are not cut entirely -throughthe meat `buty yare cut nearly to the bottom surface vofthe meat. l/Vhen the carriage has reachedthe end Kofz-its travel ini either direction the turntablek is given a turning movement through approximately O so that upon the return movement of the carriage a series of .slits Will be cut in the meat at right` angles to the` first slits y thereby cubing the meat as it is commonly termed. 1

During the time vthe meat is being acted on yby the slitting knives 6 the meat 4is clamped to the turntable by means of a hold-down or clamping element 9 which is similar to that shown in my above-mentioned PatentNo. 1,646,711..This clamping element comprises a plurality of U-shaped members, the legs 10 of which are connected to spring-pressed plungers 11 that operate through` suitable brackets orguides 12carried'by the carriage 2. Each plunger 11 is acted o'nfby a spring 13, said springs exerting a down force on the plungers 11 and thusnormally holding the members 9 yieldingly against the topfsurface ofthe meat 5. `At the end'of theltravel of the carriage 2in 1eaczhdirection the holddown members 9 are automatically -raised from engagementwith the meat as shownin Fig. 1 thereby unclampingY the .meatv so that the turntable is free to be turned or the meat is freeto be 'removed from the-turntable and replaced byy another piece of meat..` rIhe means for thus raising the clamping l las lmeans comprises cam elements 14 carried by the frame and'situated'to engagel the lower if ends of the plungers 11. These cam elements 121 have the upwardly-inclined cam portion 15 and the raised horizontal portion 16. As the carriage approaches the end of each stroke in either direction the plungers* 11"ride up the inclined faces 15 thereby raising the holddown 9 against the action of the springs '13 and said hold-down will be held in'- raised position "by the engagement vof the plungers with the horizontal portion 16 of the Cami-100 elements until after the carriage has started onY its return movement.

One feature of the present invention relates to a novel means for giving the carriage its movement. The carriage is provided on its under side with rack teeth 17 which mesh with a gear 18 mounted ona shaft 19 journalledin the frame. This shaft carries a inion 20 at its end which is illustrated as eing situated'outside of the frame.y A

Said pinion meshes with* a segmental gear 21 fast on a rock shaft 22 that is vjournalled in suitable bearings 23 carried byone'side of the frame. This rock shaft extends transversely of the frame and on the end opposite to that which carries the gear 21 there ismounted a handle or lever 24. v

'When the carriage 2 .is at the front end ofthe frame as shown in Fig. 1 the. handle 24 will be in its rearward most position as shown in full lines Fig. 1. After a piece of meat 5 has been placed on the turntable the operator grasps the handle 24 and swings it forwardly into the dotted line position Fig. 1. This swinging movement of the handle turns the gear 21 into the dotted line position thereby operating through the gears 20 and 18 to move the carriage 2 to the left hand limit of its movement. As the carriage leaves its right hand posio tionv the plungers 11 pass down the inclined faces 15 of the right hand cams 14 thereby allowing the springs 13 to lower the clamping member 9 onto the meat. This occurs before the meat is engaged by the knives. ,As the meat passes under the knives 'they cut the slits therein and as the carriage reach es the left hand end of its travel the plungers 11 are again raised by the left hand members V14 thereby `unclamping the meat.

As `the carriage reaches the left hand end of its movement the turntable 4 is given a turning -movement through 90 Vby means similar to that described in my above-mentioned Patent No. 1,646,711. This means comprises a lever 25 pivotally mounted at 26 to the under side ofthe carriage and connected by a link 27 to the turntable 4. This lever 25 co-operates with two stop members 28 secured to the iframe 1. As the carriage approaches either `.limit of its movement the lever 26 is engaged by one of the stop members 28 and is thereby turned relative to the carriage, such turning movement acting through the link 27 to turn the turntable vas described more completely in my above-mentioned Patent No. 1,646,711.

The present invention obviates the use of rotary knives and the device herein illustrated is so constructed that swinging movement of the lever 24 is sufficient to move the carriage from one end to the other of its travel so that in order to cube a slice of steak all that is necessary is to place the steak on the turntable, then to yswing the lever from the full to the dotted line position and return cated that they are directly over the turntable when` it .isl atthe rear limit of its move-V ment. The purpose of these stripper plates is to prevent the meat 5 from .being lifted oif the turntable by therising'hold-'down members 9. As the carriage approaches the` rear end of its movement, which is `the left-hand end inFig. 1, the plungers 11 will'ride upl the inclined cam faces 15, thereby elevating the clamping member 9. At this time the carriage is moving between the stripper `plates so that if the meat tends to stick to the holddown member 9, the stripper plate 30 will strip the meat therefrom and retain it on'the turntable.

I claim: Y 1. In a meat-cubing machine, the combination with a frame having ways, of a meat- "5 supporting carriage mounted for movement in said ways, said carriage having rack teeth on its under face, a gang` ofV slitting knives carried by the frame and having their slitting edges situated slightly above vthe line of travel f of said carriage, a lever pivoted to said frame, a segmental gear rigid with the lever, a pinion meshing with said gear, and a second gear larger than thepinion but rigid ltherewith,

and meshing with the rack teeth, said segmentalV gear having alradius considerably larger than thepinion, whereby a swinging `movement of the lever through an arc of less than 180o will move the carriage from one. side to the other of the knives. i' gA 2. In a meat-slitting machine, the combination with a frame having ways, of a meaty supporting carriage mounted for movement in said ways, a gang of slitting knives stationarily carried by the frame, a shaft pivoted in said frame above said knives, asegmental gear fast on the shafta pinion journalled in the frame and meshing with said segmental gear, said pinion having a radius considerably smaller than that ofthe segmental gear, a gear larger than the pinion but rigid therewith, said carriage having-rack teeth (on. its under face meshing with the teeth of said last-named gear, and a handle carried by the shaft and extending therefrom in a5 radial direction opposite to that of the segmental gear.

. In testimony whereof, I have signed lmy name to this specification. f

- i JOSEPH P. SPANGL,V 

